FT 

MEADE 

CHRISTIAN AIMS AND INSTRUMENTALITIES. 


4BV 
1034 
Copy 1 




SERMON 


I PREACHED AT THE 


INDUCTION OF REV. C. H. A. DALE 


TO THE PASTORAL CARE OF THE 


FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY IN NEEDHAM, 


FEBRUARY 7, 1847. 



BY REV. JASON ^HITMAN. 


BOSTON : 

LEONARD C. BOWLES 
1847 . 





PRINTED BT J. B. CHISHOLM^ 
5 WATER ST. BOSTON. 




Exchange 

4 8 

AG 10 1942 

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1034 - 


S E E M 0 N . 


1 Peter i. 9. 

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

Our New-England towns and villages are marked by an imposing 
array of religious instrumentalities; in their houses of worship, in their 
various religious organizations, in the residence and labors of a Chris¬ 
tian ministry. Sometimes these instrumentalities have been idolized, 
while the end, for the accomplishment of which they are appointed, 
has been overlooked. And then again, on the other hand, they have 
been undervalued and neglected. 1 propose, therefore, at this time, to 
occupy your attention by an endeavor to point out what is ultimate and 
final in religion, to mark the distinction between the end to be sought, 
and the instrumentalities appointed for its attainment, and to show in 
what way these instrumentalities are subsidiary and efficient. 

What then is ultimate and final in Teligion ? In other words what is 
the ultimate object, at which we should aim in regard to ourselves as 
individuals, in our endeavors to accomplish in our own hearts and lives 
the true purposes of the Gospel; and what is the state into which we 
should seek to bring the community, in order that it may be in reality 
and in all respects truly a Christian community ? In regard to our¬ 
selves, I answer that we should seek to bring our souls into a childlike 
frame, into a state of entire consecration to the service of God, and of 
perfect oneness of feeling and affection with his holy will, into a state 
of conscious, sincere loyalty to the Supreme Jehovah, into a state of 
perfect love, of perfect faith, and of perfect devotion of heart and of 
life. I sincerely believe that a higher and richer experience of the 
power and of the joy of religion than most men imagine or desire, 
which should be sought by every true Christian, and which, if sought 
with the same diligence, earnestness and perseverance with which men 
seek for the treasures of earth, may, through God’s blessing, be at¬ 
tained. It is a state of entire subordination of our own wishes, plans 
and purposes to the will of God; in which we shall feel that God is all 
in all, and that we are only instruments in his hand; and in which we 
shall desire only to be instruments for the accomplishment of his wise 
and holy purposes. It is a state in which, with our Saviour, it will be 
our meat and our drink, that which will give us spiritual nourishment 
and strength, to do the will of our Father which is in heaven, in which 
our only prayer, in regard to ourselves, will be “ Lord, what wouldst 
thou have us to do.^” and in which our ultimate prayer will be, 



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‘‘ Father, thy will be done,” even though we be cast aside from all ac¬ 
tive agency in its accomplishment. 

In this state of the soul there will be great calmness of spirit, great 
joy and peace in believing. There will be an almost distinct spiritual 
perception of the presence of an all-surrounding God. We see liim 
in every thing. We touch him at every point. The heavens declare 
the glory of God. Every beautiful tint upon the flower, every sound 
of melody, every manifestation of life in the vegetable world, or of 
enjoyment in the animal, speaks to us of the wisdom and goodness of 
an ever present Creator. Indeed, the whole beautiful creation, with all 
its variety and all its sublimity, becomes to us but the spirit vesture, the 
sensible form, through which the ever-present but unseen Spirit mani¬ 
fests himself to our spirits. 

In this state of the soul we shall see God in every event of Provi¬ 
dence ; in all the multiplied blessings of life, and in the saddening afflic¬ 
tions we are sometimes called to endure, we shall perceive that it is 
God that speaks, and speaks, alike in both, in accents of mercy and of 
love. In the enjoyment of blessings, the soul will draw near to him in 
the holy communion of a joyous and heartfelt gratitude. In seasons of 
sorrow and affliction, it will compose itself to rest upon his bosom, in 
the exercise of a resigned acquiescence and a confiding trust. And in 
these exercises, it will enjoy the felt presence of a God of love, will 
experience spiritual emotions, of which no tongue can tell, and receive 
communications of divine influence sufficient to impart an earnest and 
a foretaste of heavenly bliss, even amid the trials and disappointments 
of earth. Such are the states of soul, in regard to God, which we 
should seek to attain. And if we do attain them, they will spread out 
over our whole characters, and bring into harmony with themselves all 
our feelings in regard to our fellow men, and all our views of labor and 
of duty. 

Looking to God as our Father, we shall regard our fellow-men, of 
every class and condition, of every race and hue, as brethren of the 
same spiritual family with ourselves, to be regarded with fraternal af¬ 
fection, and treated with fraternal kindness. Our gratitude and love to 
?!the common Father, and our devotion to his will, will generate a deep 
interest in every brother of the common family. As our piety to God 
'becomes more warm and ardent, our love to man will become more 
.extensive in its reach, more active and energetic in its manifestation. 
The erring we shall seek to reclaim, the criminal to reform, the sufler- 
ing to relieve, the ignorant to enlighten, the enslaved to set free. In 
regard to our brethren who are intemperate, who are oppressed wdth 
the heavy burden of poverty, who have fallen the victims of sin, and 
are branded as criminals, or those who have almost lost their manhood 
through the heartowithering influences of an involuntary oppression, and 
hopeless servitude^ wo shall desire, not merely to speak to them a few 


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kind words, not merely to afford to them some slight temporary relief; 
wo shall desire to take them by the hand, cordially and affectionately, 
and raise them up to the same level, in these respects, upon which we 
ourselves are standing; to take them by the hand and say to them, as 
Peter said to Cornelius, “ stand up, for we ourselves are also men,” 
stand up in the enjoyment of liberty, in the possession of the comforts 
of life, of opportunities for social, intellectual and moral improvement, 
and be ye also men. 

And then, too, in regard to the labors of life, we shall feel that they 
are all the allotments of our Father in Heaven, appointed as the instru¬ 
mentalities of our moral and spiritual growth; and that how widely 
soever different pursuits may be separated from each other in the opin¬ 
ions of men, as honorable or dishonorable, they are all alike in the sight 
of God; and in the true Christian view are all placed upon the same 
high level, when they are performed under the influence of the same 
holy motive, an affectionate and conscientious regard for the will of our 
all-perfect Father. 

With the states of soul of which I have spoken in regard to God, and 
in regard to our fellow-men, our union of heart with our blessed 
Saviour will be close and intimate; and our communion with him, de¬ 
lightful and improving. Our hearts will be filled with gratitude and 
love to him, as the sanctified and sent of the Father, as the moral mani¬ 
festation of the divinity, and the living representation of perfection in 
humanity ; as having revealed to us our Father in Heaven, rescued us 
from a distressing orphanage, and brought us near to him in affection 
and feeling, in devotion of purpose, and obedience of life. And in the 
enjoyment of this near communion with the pure and holy Jesus, we 
shall be constantly becoming more and more Christ-like in feeling and 
in character. We shall breathe the spirit of Christ, and speak the 
words of Christ, and be governed by the principles of Christ. Through 
the power of his life, and of his death, we shall be freed from the love 
of sin, and from the power of sin. We shall put on the Lord Jesus, 
we shall have Christ formed within us the hope of glory. I have thus 
pointed out the feelings and the characters which we should seek to 
attain, in order that the purposes of the Gospel may be fully accom¬ 
plished in us as individuals. I have endeavored to show that it should 
be.the ultimate object of each one’s religious efforts to become truly 
Christ-like in feeling, principle and conduct, to possess and manifest his 
spirit of unreserved devotion to the will of God, his spirit of all-em¬ 
bracing and self-sacrificing love to man. When these traits are per¬ 
fected in our characters, then will the final purposes of the Gospel be 
accomplished in regard to us as individuals. Then shall we be in the 
enjoyment of what is ultimate, final and absolute in religion. 

To the question. Into what state should we seek to bring the commu¬ 
nity, in order that it may be in reality and in all respects a truly Chris- 


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tian community ? I answer that communities are composed of individu¬ 
als, and that the Gospel deals with communities, and accomplishes its 
purposes in regard to them, only as it exerts its controlling and trans¬ 
forming influence upon the affections, the principles and the conduct of 
individuals. If then, the ultimate purposes of the Gospel are accom¬ 
plished in regard to the separate members of communities, as individ¬ 
uals, they will be in regard to the community itself, considered as a 
whole. The truth of this inference would seem, at first thought, toJbe 
perfectly obvious. And yet there are striking facts, evident upon the 
very surface of society, which seem to contradict its truth. There are 
professedly Christian communities, the members of which, in their in¬ 
dividual capacity, and in the devotional aspect of their characters, seem 
to be truly Christian, while yet there are prevalent in these same com¬ 
munities many unchristian notions, practices, customs and institutions. 
There are nations, for example, which profess to regard themselves as 
the followers of the Prince of Peace, and among the members of which 
the Scriptures of the New Testament containing the instructions of the 
Saviour are freely circulated, in which they read his injunctions incul¬ 
cating upon all his followers a spirit of long-suflfering, forbearance un¬ 
der ill-treatment, and of forgiveness of enemies, while yet these na¬ 
tions engage in destructive wars with each other, and often too, upon 
the most frivolous pretences. Nay, more. They cherish, in various 
ways, and openly avow, and distinctly manifest the unchristian spirit of 
revenge. Then too, there are communities nominally Christian ; and 
among the members of which there is undoubtedly much devotional 
feeling ; in whose ears are often read the precepts of the Saviour, re¬ 
quiring his disciples to love their neighbors as themselves, and to do in 
all things to others, as they would have others do to them, while yet 
they seize upon their more ignorant and defenceless fellow-men, and 
call them property^ buy them and sell them as they do their horses and 
their mules; beat them, and often maim them ; deprive them of the 
means of knowledge ; close against them the Volume of God’s Holy 
Word, and compel them to contract that most holy of all earthly rela¬ 
tions, the marriage union, without regard to the affectionate attachment 
upon which it should ever be based, or to dissolve it simply at the arbi¬ 
trary command of another, or as fluctuations'in business, or changes in 
property may determine. Then, still further, there are those, even in 
our own beloved New-England, w'ho encourage by their indulgences, 
or sustain by their pursuits; customs and fashions fraught with the direst 
evils to the community. There are those who still continue the traffic 
in intoxicating drinks, by w-hich their fellow men are reduced to a con¬ 
dition ten-fold worse than death; and others who by their invitations 
and their example, by their social drinking of wine, or their moderate 
indulgence in ardent spirits, are lending their influence to the encour¬ 
agement, support and countenance of intemperance in our midst, while 


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yet they claim to be regarded as Christians. All these unchristian 
practices, customs and institutions, together with many others which I 
have not time to enumerate, prevail in communities professedly Chris¬ 
tian, and among those who regard themselves as good and true follow¬ 
ers of the Lord Jesus. 

And not only so; there are prevalent even in Christian communities, 
false notions in regard to public sins and social wrongs. There are 
those, who, if we may judge by their conduct, seem to think that a 
man may be a very good Christian, and yet neglect, entirely, to carry 
his Christian principles and Christian spirit into his business transac¬ 
tions, his political efforts, or his ofRcial acts. The idea seems to be 
prevalent with some, that business is one thing and religion another, and 
a different thing; that a political caucus and a social prayer meeting 
are so very different, the one from the other, as to authorize, if not re¬ 
quire entirely different principles of conduct, and an entirely different 
spirit. It seems to be thought that as a Christian, and in all Christian 
efforts, a man is bound to speak the truth, but that as a politician, and 
to promote the interests of his political party, he may be permitted to 
exaggerate, misrepresent and deceive ; that as a Christian, he must do 
to others as he would have others do to him ; but that as a man of busi? 
ness he may look safely to his own interests, and may take the advan¬ 
tage, whenever he can, of the ignorance and of the necessities of his 
brethren. It is by many considered as altogether unchristian for a man 
to meet his fellow-man in the deadly conflict of the duel, but not urn 
Christian for the same man to use all his influence as a ruler to plunge 
his nation into war with a neighboring nation *, as a general to lead his 
army to battle; or as a soldier to plunge his sword into the heart of his 
fellow-man. Christian principle, it seems to be thought by some, must 
not be applied to these positions, acts and pursuits ; or if applied to 
them at all, it must be in some peculiar way. Indeed, attempts are 
made to palliate, excuse and even justify these things, and show that 
they are consistent with the requirements of the Gospel. 

Since then there are prevalent in Christian communities many social 
evils and public wrongs, which seem to be inconsistent with the highest 
and holiest manifestations of Christian influences; something more is 
necessary than simply to interest individuals in their individual capacity 
in the claims and requirements of the Gospel. Efibrts must be put 
forth for the especial purpose of reforming Christian communities, and 
banishing from them all unchristian ideas, customs, fashions and insti¬ 
tutions. For Christianity wages a war, a war of love it is true, but at 
the same time, a war of uncompromising hostility, and of utter exter¬ 
mination against all sin, whether personal or organic, whether in the 
individual or in the body politic. It seeks to remove from our world all 
personal unholiness, all public sin, all social wrong-doing, and to fill the 
w'hole earth with purity and holiness, with pe^ce and love. It would 


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do this, it is true, in its own way and by its own instrumentalities ; not 
by harsh denunciation, not by bitter reproaches; but by the power of I 

truth uttered in the spirit of love, by kindness in presenting and urging 
home upon the attention the precepts of the Gospel, united with firm¬ 
ness in adhering to their requisitions. Indeed, Christianity wages a 
war not only against the prevalent sins of a community, but also against 
all manifestation of an unchristian spirit, and all pursuit of unchristian 
measures, even in efforts to remove sin from the world. What, then, 
the question returns upon us, what are we to seek to accomplish in re¬ 
gard to any community, in order that it may be in reality and in all 
respects a truly Christian community ? I answer that, by Christian in¬ 
strumentalities, and in the exercise of a Christian spirit we are to seek 
to bring the community, in its associated capacity, into subjection to 
Christian principles, and to the manifestation of the Christian spirit in 
all its social efforts and public acts. We are to strive to bring about 
that period, when the acts of every legislative assembly shall be based 
upon Christian principles, shall be marked by a Christian spirit, and 
shall aini at Christian results; that period when the same regard for 
Christian principle, and the same manifestation of the Christian spirit 
shall characterize all political consultations and exertions, all business 
transactions, and all social intercourse. In short, we are to strive to 
hasten on that glorious period, hinted at in the prophecies of old, when 
men “ shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into 
pruning-hooks; when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nei¬ 
ther shall they learn war any more; that period when they shall not 
hurt nor destroy in all the holy mountain of the Lord, when the earth 
shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the 
seas.” When any community is brought into this state, then may we 
feel that the ultimate purposes of the Gospel in regard to it are accom¬ 
plished, and that it is in reality and in all respects truly a Christian 
community. 

You will have observed in the remarks which have been offered upon 
the ultimate objects and final purposes of the Gospel, that the question, 
whether they are accomplished in regard to any individual or any com¬ 
munity, will not be satisfactorily answered by the statement that cer¬ 
tain doctrines have been embraced, certain forms of worship observed, 
or certain modes of Christian effort adopted. The question has refer¬ 
ence to something above and beyond all this; it refers to the heart and 
the life of the individual, to the prevalent ideas, practices, customs and 
institutions of the community. If you ask whether the ultimate pur¬ 
poses of the Gospel have been accomplished in regard to an individual, 
it will not be a sufficient answer to say that he has embraced this or 
that particular form of belief, that he has connected himself with this 
or that Christian church, that he is constant in the observance of this or 
that particular form of worship. These answers relate to things which 


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^re important in themselves, and in their influences. But they fall 
•short of the point to which your question is directed. You wish to go 
heyond all these, and learn whether his having adopted and applied 
these instrumentalities has made him a Christ-like man in all his feel¬ 
ings, principles, purposes and character, tf you ask whether the ulti¬ 
mate purposes of the Gospel have been accomplished in regard to any 
-community, it will not be a satisfactory answer to say that they are 
•zealous members of this or that religious sect, that they have erected 
many and splendid edifices of worship, that they are constant in their 
attendance upon social meetings for conference and prayer. You will 
•rejoice to hear all this, and will regard it as the adoption of important 
•religious instrumentalities. But the mere fact that these things are so, 
will not constitute a satisfactory answer to your question, will not reach 
•the point to which that is directed. You wish to go farther, and ascer¬ 
tain whether, by the adoption of these instrumentalities, they have ac¬ 
quired, and are manifesting the spirit of the Gospel in all their various 
practices, customs and institutions. Nor yet will it be a sufficient an¬ 
swer to your question to -say that they are earnestly devoted to the phil- 
•anthropic reforms of the day; that they are zealous temperance men; 
earnest advocates of universal peace ; decided and active Abolitionists. 
Y’ou will rejoice to hear this, to learn that they are engaged in the pro¬ 
motion of these important objects of benevolent and Christian effort. 
But they may be active in these philanthropic reforms, while yet in 
their personal and -private character, they may not be Christ-like in 
feeling, purpose and conduct; while yet they may perhaps neglect to 
breathe the Christian spirit, or forget to pursue Christian measures in 
their efforts to remove sin and suffering from the world. You wish to 
know whether they unite in their characters personal purity and holi¬ 
ness, with warm-hearted benevolence, and active philanthropy; 
whether they are seeking to reform the world by the power of Christian 
truth, uttered in the spirit of Christian love. 

I have thus endeavored to point out what is ultimate, absolute and 
permanent in religion ; in other words, to show when the final purposes 
of the Gospel may be considered as accomplished in regard to individ¬ 
uals and communities. All else is subordinate and subsidiary to this 
great end. In this light principally, as instrumentalities for the accom¬ 
plishment of the ultimate purposes of the Gospel, should we regard the 
doctrines of religion which we may embrace. The simple circum¬ 
stance that, in the cold and speculative belief of the head, we have 
embraced this doctrine or that, will not of itself constitute us true and 
devoted followers of the Lord Jesus. But our belief in the doctrines 
of the Gospel may be improved by us to the spiritual regeneration of 
our hearts, to the moral purification of our lives. If I believe in God as 
a universal, ever-present, all-perfect Father, ordering or permitting all 
the events of my life in the exercise of wisdom -and of love, I may im- 


10 


prove that belief as the efficient means of filling my heart with grati¬ 
tude in prosperity, with trust and resignation in adversity, and with a 
spirit of devoted obedience in duty. If I believe in God as of purer 
eyes than to look with pleasure upon sin, the more I dwell upon this 
belief, the more shall I be filled with a holy dread of wrong-doing. If 
I believe in Jesus of Nazareth as an all-sufficient Saviour, the more I 
contemplate this soul-sustaining truth, the more entirely shall I cast 
myself upon him for salvation, in a life of devoted and unreserved obe¬ 
dience to all his instructions. If I believe that the renewing, sanctify¬ 
ing, enlightening and strengthening influences of the Holy Spirit will 
be granted to all who earnestly and fervently seek for them, I may so 
cherish this belief, so bring it home to my own heart and feelings, to 
my own wants and weaknesses, as to fill my heart with courage and 
confidence in all doubt and difficulty, in all duty and trial. If I believe 
in the common, the universal brotherhood of man, and seriously inquire 
for the duties which grow out of this relation, shall I not be led to cher¬ 
ish a more sincere and expansive regard for the whole human race 
shall I not be prompted to do what may be in my power for the promo¬ 
tion of human happiness and improvement, for the relief of human 
distress, and for securing to the whole human family the enjoyment of 
their just rights ? If I believe in my own spiritual nature, and in the 
immortality of the soul^ shall I not be led by my belief to live more 
for the soul and for eternity, and less for the body and for time f If I 
believe that every unholy thought which may be cherished, every sin¬ 
ful desire which may be indulged, and every vain imagination which 
may be dwelt upon, will leave a stain of sinful pollution upon the soul, 
unfitting it for the enjoyment of God, shall I not be moved by that be¬ 
lief to watch most carefully over all my thoughts, feelings and affec¬ 
tions ? In this way a belief in the various doctrines of the Gospel 
may be so improved by us, may be so brought home to our hearts’ best 
affections, and so applied to our own daily walk, as to become powerful 
instrumentalities in accomplishing within us the ultimate purposes of 
the Gospel, in making us truly Christ-like in feeling and character. It 
is in this view, as subsidiary to holiness of heart and life, that the doc¬ 
trines of the Gospel are chiefly valuable. For this purpose should 
they be studied and embraced, to the accomplishment of this object 
should they be improved. 

In this light also, as instrumentalities adapted to make us more pure 
and holy, more benevolent and philanthropic, more Christ-like in the 
inward states of the soul, and in the outward manifestations of charac¬ 
ter, should we regard all exercises of religious worship, and all the ob¬ 
servance of the ordinances of religion. If you draw near to God in 
prayer you perform a sacred and important duty, a duty in accordance 
with God’s will, and to the right performance of which God’s promise 
is attached. But the chief value even of prayer is to be found in its 


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influences upon the soul itself, as an instrumentality in keeping alive, 
and strengthening within us, all devotional feelings, in bringing the soul 
into a Christ-like state, in rendering more permanent and powerful all 
religious feelings and all spiritual emotions. If, under the influence of 
filial love, confiding trust and sincere devotion, you draw near to God in 
prayer, you do by that act exercise and thereby strengthen the feelings 
and principles by which prayer is prompted. If, in the exercise of 
all-embracing love to man, you draw near to God, you have done some¬ 
thing to deepen and strengthen that love, and to render it influential 
over the conduct. If, with a holy dread of sin, you ask of God heav- 
enly guidance and spiritual strength, you have, by the very supplication 
you have offered, increased and rendered more efficient your abhor¬ 
rence of every thing wrong. In this way, every act of prayer and of 
praise is instrumental in keeping alive, in rendering brighter and warm¬ 
er, the flame of pure devotion in the soul. In this way, is Qod’s pro¬ 
mise to hear and answer prayer verified to the soul of him who prays. 
Prayer is a privilege, a precious, a glorious privilege, in which frail, 
fallible, erring, sinful man is permitted to hold communion with the 
infinite, all-perfect and holy One. The practice of prayer is,a solemn 
duty, to the performance of which we are bound by the strongest obli¬ 
gations of dependence, of gratitude, and of hope. The answer to 
prayer is so experienced when it is blessed to the purification of the 
soul, the elevation and enlargement of the'affections, and the confirma¬ 
tion of all holy and virtuous principles. Would that we might all 
cherish a more just appreciation of the preciousness of prayer, both 
private and social, as a privilege, of its importance as a duty, and of 
its value as an instrumentality for the promotion of purity of heart and 
holiness of life. 

In the same light are we to regard the observance of the ordinances 
of religion. These were appointed by Christ, who knew what was in 
man, in adaptation to our weakness and our spiritual wants. The re¬ 
quest “this do in remembrance of me,” is a most tender and touching 
request, addressed to the deepest affections of the heart, coming as it 
does from one, who was ready to lay down his life for our salvation. 
But one of the most endearing views of this ordinance is that which 
regards it as appointed to become a help to our weakness, and an in¬ 
strument of our spiritual strength and growth. Here we are, weak 
and frail, with appetites and passions requiring control, surrounded with 
temptations difficult to withstand, driven by the labors and distracted 
by the cares of earth. How kind and gracious is our Saviour, to es¬ 
tablish this ordinance, so well adapted, in all the holy associations by 
which it is surrounded, in all the touching reminiscences which it 
awakens, and in all the spiritual influences which flow from it, to 
strengthen us in our weakness, to sustain us under our trials, and to 
help forward our constantly increasing preparation for heavenly bliss. 


12 


Will not all who love the Lord Jesus, rejoice to comply with his tender 
request, come to the table of remembrance, and secure the influence of 
an appropriate and powerful religious instrumentality, adapted to per¬ 
fect them in all the virtues and graces of the Christian walk? But let 
no one think that he has done all, when he has seated himself at the table 
of remembrance, and partaken of the emblems of Christ’s body and 
blood. If you have done this, you have reason to bless God that you 
have been enabled to avail yourselves of a powerful instrumentality, 
which, if improved aright, may essentially aid you in your endeavors 
to become truly Christ-like in feeling and in character. If, as you draw 
near to the table of remembrance, you consider the evil of sin, its 
hatefulness in the sight of God, its polluting and debasing influence up¬ 
on the human soul; if you consider the worth of your own spiritual 
nature, as indicated by the provision which God has made for its deliv¬ 
erance from sin, and by the sufferings the Saviour was willing to en¬ 
dure for its salvation; if, as you are seated at the table, you dwell 
upon the disclosures, the precepts, the example of Christ, devout grati¬ 
tude will be awakened in your hearts, your souls will be filled with holy, 
spiritual aspirations, and you will be led, at every successive observance 
of the ordinance, to renew your consecration of yourselves to the ser¬ 
vice of your God, in the Gospel of his Son. In this way, your observ¬ 
ance of the ordinance of the supper will become a constantly operating 
instrumentality for the promotion of your personal religious improve¬ 
ment. It is for this, among other reasons, that this ordinance should 
be highly valued, and to this end more especially should it be observed 
and improved. 

And, finally, correct moral conduct, valuable as it is in life, impor¬ 
tant as it is to the community, derives its chief value to the individual 
himself, from being regarded as instrumental to something higher, more 
important and more enduring than itself. The community, it is true, 
cannot look beyond the outward conduct. If that is in accordance 
with Gospel precepts, the purposes of the Gospel, so far as the commu¬ 
nity is concerned, are accomplished. But with the individual the out¬ 
ward conduct derives its character and its value from the mo^ve by 
which it is prompted, and from being regarded principally as a mani¬ 
festation of the state of the heart. An act of friendship may be very 
important in itself, but it will be valued principally as an indication of 
a friendly state of the affections. And especially to the individual 
who performs the act, will its value depend upon its being a true mani¬ 
festation of his feelings. For its reflex influence upon his own soul 
will depend upon this, since it is only as a true manifestation of the 
affections that it can exercise them, and by exercising deepen and 
strengthen them, and-render them more powerful and influential. So 
an act of moral honesty, of long-suffering, forbearance, of kindness in 
social intercourse, a course of unswerving devotion to duty amid diffi- 


13 


cullies and in the face of obstacles, will be chiefly regarded by the in¬ 
dividual who performs and pursues them, as a manifestation of the 
state of his feelings and principles, and will be especially valued be¬ 
cause by exercising they strengthen right feelings and principles, and 
in this way promote the religious improvement of the soul. Perhaps I 
may differ from others in the view I take of moral conduct as instru¬ 
mental of spiritual growth. But it seems to me a very important view^ 
tending to enhance the value and importance of correct moral conduct,, 
and to expose an error which sometimes prevails in regard to it. P'or 
surely when it is considered that every instance of correct moral de¬ 
portment exerts an influence for good, and every instance of moral 
delinquency exerts an influence for evil, upon the spiritual and immor¬ 
tal nature, the importance of pursuing the one and avoiding the other, 
will be enhanced in our estimation. Correct moral conduct will be 
valued, not merely for what it is in itself, and in its influence upon 
standing and reputation in the community, but, more especially, for 
what it is in its influence upon the soul itself, in advancing its prepara¬ 
tion for the enjoyment of God’s presence. Then too there is an error 
abroad in regard to the sufficiency of correct moral conduct in securing 
eternal bliss. The question is often asked, “ if a man be a correct 
moral man, is not that sufficient ? What matter if he be not a devout, 
holy, spiritually-minded man.?” To the community it may not matter; 
for devoutness of affections, holiness of heart, spirituality of mind lie 
beyond the cognizance of the community. But to the individual him¬ 
self it will be a matter of the utmost importance, since the true value 
of his correctness of moral conduct in the sight of God, and its benefi¬ 
cial effect upon his own soul will depend upon the motives by which it 
is prompted, upon its being based upon and proceeding from high, 
holy, spiritual feelings and principles. The honesty of the truly reli¬ 
gious man may not be of more value to the community than the hon¬ 
esty of the irreligious man, excepting as it is based upon a more fixed 
principle, and is therefore more to be depended upon. But to the indi¬ 
vidual himself, a simple act of honesty proceeding from religious prin¬ 
ciple, is of tenfold more value, is vastly more beneficial in its reflex 
influence upon his own soul, than the same act of honesty performed 
under the influence of a lower, a worldly motive. It seems to me im¬ 
portant, then, that we should look upon even outward moral conduct as 
instrumental in its relation to the soul, and the soul’s best welfare. 

The views which I have in this discourse advanced, I believe to be 
of the utmost importance in their practical bearings. There is, with 
many, a tendency to idolize means and instrumentalities, and to rest 
satisfied with an outward attention to them, without even inquiring 
whether they have exerted or are exerting their appropriate influence 
upon the heart and life. Are there not many who rejoice to be called 
by this or that sectarian name, and congratulate themselves that they 
have embraced this or that system of doctrines; are there not many 



14 


who attend regularly upon the services of the Sabbath; are there not 
some who seat themselves from time to time at the table of remem¬ 
brance, and who feel that simply in consequence of these acts .they 
are more acceptable in the sight of God and more certain of lieavenly 
liappiness, without asking whether their attention to these instrumentali¬ 
ties is making them better men, more pure in heart, more holy in life ? 
Are there not many who rejoice in the moral correctness of their out¬ 
ward conduct, and feel that this is all that is necessary to secure for 
them the enjoyment of heavenly blessedness, while yet they ask not 
whether the heart be right with God, whether the soul be in a pure, 
holy and spiritual frame ? It is important, then, that we should have a 
clear conception of the precise objects we are to seek, in our attention 
to religious instrumentalities, both in regard to ourselves, and in regard 
to the community around us. Then shall w'e understand in what way 
all these instrumentalities are to be employed and improved. The 
doctrines we embrace will no longer remain mere intellectual abstrac¬ 
tions, they will become living principles of action, and their influence 
upon the heart and the life will be distinctly manifested in the daily 
walk and conversation. Our forms of worship and our observance of 
the ordinances of religion will cease to be mere formalities. They 
w'ill become occasions of holy communion with God and of spiritual 
fellowship with Christ, and with one another, seasons of refreshment 
from the Lord, when Christian principles are strengthened, religious 
feelings deepened, and heavenward aspirations rendered more ardent. 
And our correctness of moral deportment will cease to be a mere con¬ 
formity with outward rules of j)ropriety, and will become the manifes¬ 
tation and the exercise of our fixed principles of devotion to God and 
of benevolence to man. It will no longer be a matter of mere worldly 
policy, it w'ill become a matter of conscience and of duty, instrumental 
of the soul’s developement and growth in all that is pure, lovely and of 
good report. 

Then again there is a tendency, with some, to undervalue the doc¬ 
trines of the Gospel, the exercises of worship, the ordinances of reli¬ 
gion. If an individual have love to man and love to God, what matter, 
:say some, whether he embrace one system of doctrines or another, or 
whether he have any religious belief at all, what matter whether he 
pray or neglect prayer, whether he seat himself at the table of remem¬ 
brance or turn away from it.? In this query it is forgotten that these 
things, truths believed, worship offered, ordinances observed, are the 
means, the instruments of holiness. The views I have advanced, if 
true, will serve to enhance in our estimation the value of all these. 
We shall regard them, not merely as they are in themselves, but as 
they are in relation to spiritual growth and eternal happiness. The 
more we value these, the more ardent our desire for spiritual improve¬ 
ment and eternal bliss, the more earnestly shall we seek for a pure 

observance of the ordinances. In 





15 


this connection we hear of “the transient and the permanent in Chris¬ 
tianity.” A belief in the miraculous origin of our religion is placed 
among the things which are transient, and which are destined to pass 
away, while purity of heart and holiness of life, love to God, and love 
to man are justly regarded as absolute and permanent. It is sometimes 
asked if the soul is sustained upon the bed of death by a belief in the 
miraculous origin of our religion, rather than by its own holy union 
with God through the power of faith and love. The proper answer to 
this question is, that a belief in the miraculous origin and divine au¬ 
thority of our religion, has been the instrument of bringing the soul 
into this holy union. What may perhaps with truth be regarded as in 
itself transient becomes of vast importance and of permanent value 
from its connection with what is ultimate and absolute. And then too, 
that which is transient with the individual becomes permanent with the 
community and the race. It is with the individual an instrumentality 
to a permanent end. As an instrumentality, it is needed by all other 
members of the community, who have not enjoyed it, and will be as 
important to them as it has been to those who have already experienced 
its beneficial influences. As an instrumentality, it will be as important 
to all succeeding generations, as it has been to those which have gone 
before. It is then only from the vast and unspeakable importance of 
the ends they are intended to accomplish, that the true value of all re¬ 
ligious instrumentalities is to be learned. While therefore we should 
ever assign them their true place, as instrumerdaliLies^ we should also 
assign them their true value, enhanced as it is by their relation to the 
spiritual growth and eternal welfare of the soul. 

My friends of this religious society, I have supposed that the subject 
of my discourse, and the remarks which I have ofTered might not be- 
inappropriate to this occasion. As my brother, this day, takes upon' 
him, more formally, the vows of that ministry among you, to which 
you have invited him, you will perceive that in his labors, you are 
henceforth to enjoy an important religious instrumentality. But re¬ 
member, I beseech you, that it depends much upon the light in which* 
you may regard that instrumentality, and the manner in which you may 
improve it, whether its influence upon you shall be for your good or for’ 
your hurt; that the word preached will not profit unless it be mixed 
with faith in the hearers. You will bear it in mind that your pastor 
comes among you, not that he may be religious in your stead, but that,- 
under God’s guidance and with God’s blessing, he may aid you in your 
endeavors to work out your own salvation. He comes, not that he 
may stand between you and your God, between you and your Saviour, 
but that he may conduct you, in your own persons, to a near, in¬ 
timate and holy union of heart with your Saviour and your God. Re-- 
ceive, then, your pastor to your hearts. Give him your confidence,- 
and your affections. Let your regard for him be manifested by your 
warm-hearted and active co-operation with him in every good word and' 



16 


work; by your attendance upon the Institutions and ^ 019 830 564 
the ordinances of the Gospel, by the purity and holiness of your hearts, 
the uprightness and integrity of your lives, and the expansion of your 
philanthropic affections. Seek to build up for yourselves, in peace and 
harmony, by prayer and by effort, that kingdom of righteousness, 
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, which your pastor will strive, as an 
instrument in God’s hand, to build up among you. By so doing, you 
will secure the blessed influences of God’s Holy Spirit, and will re¬ 
ceive the “ end of your faith,” the end of all your labors and efforts, 
the end of'all the religious instrumentalities with which you are fa¬ 
vored, “even the salvation of your souls.” 

And, my brother, the views which I have presented, place, as it 
%seems to me, that blessed ministry of reconciliation, in which we have 
been permitted to take part, upon its truest and most exalted foundation. 
We are instruments in the hands of God, laboring to accomplish his 
holy purposes on earth, beseeching our fellow-men “ in Christ’s stead 
to be reconciled to our Father in heaven.” Regarding our ministry as 
u divinely appointed instrumentality for the accomplishment of high 
and holy purposes among men, we shall look to God for guidance in 
our course, for strength with which to labor, and for that blessing with¬ 
out which all our efforts will be in vain. With these views I extend 
to you this right hand of Christian fellowship, and, in the name of our 
common Christianity, bid you welcome to this part of our Lord’s vine¬ 
yard on the earth. You come among this people, not that you may 
preach yourself, but that you may preach “Christ and him crucified 
not to make your hearers proselytes to your own peculiar opinions, but 
that you may lead them to your Master, that they may learn of him. 
You come among them not that you may display your learning or tal¬ 
ents, but that, consecrating them to God and to Christ as instrumentali¬ 
ties for ihe advancement of the Redeemer’s kingdom, they may be all 
employed in setting forth the riches of the Gospel of God’s grace. 
Having been led by God’s grace to desire a part in this ministry, to 
share in this instrumentality for the good of your fellow-men, and hav¬ 
ing been guided by God’s Providence to this field of labor, I would 
renewedly welcome you to all the hopes and joys, to all the labors and 
results of your ministry here. And, while I would pledge to you the 
sympathy, the counsels, the prayers of your brethren in the ministry, 
and would express to you the desire that you in return may be to us as 
a brother, true and faithful, I would bid you God speed in your work, 
with the prayer that, at the close of your ministry here, whether it may 
be of longer or of shorter duration, you may enjoy the greatest conso¬ 
lation, which a true minister of the Lord Jesus can experience, in the 
thought that, through God’s grace, you have been an efficient instru¬ 
ment in his hands, in building up the Redeemer’s kingdom of righteous¬ 
ness, joy and peace among this people. 












